Richard "Pistol" Allen was the king of the shuffle styled drum beat at Motown records in the early 60s, second only to Motown drummer extraordinare Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin. When Benjamin wasn't available to play, Allen was called in to replace him.

Allen played drums on major Motown hits such as The Supremes's "Baby Love", The Four Tops's "I Can't Help Myself", 'Jr. Walker"s "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" and 'Martha & the Vandellas" "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave". Allen still loved to play the Detroit local music scene, and even after his stint with Motown he continued to be seen from time to time playing in Detroit nightclubs throughout the city, until his illness.